


Triple Agent Who Came in from the Cold I, The: Part 6

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-26
Updated: 2002-02-26
Packaged: 2018-11-21 02:02:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11347572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: After the colonization, Skinner and Scully find themselves sharing a mountain hideaway with Alex Krycek. Can they find a way to live together?  This is part of a longer series and you ought to read parts 1 - 5 first.  You can find the rest of the story here: http://www.squidge.org/~xchick/julie/triple.html





	Triple Agent Who Came in from the Cold I, The: Part 6

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

Triple Agent Who Came in from the Cold I, The: Part 6

## Triple Agent Who Came in from the Cold I, The: Part 6

#### by Julie Morningstar

Title: Triple Agent Who Came in from the Cold I, The: Part 6  
Author: Julie Morningstar  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website: http://www.squidge.org/~xchick/julie/  
Date Archived: 02/26/02  
Category: Unclassified  
Pairing (Primary): Other m/m/f  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info: Skinner/Scully/Krycek  
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive: DiTB, Full House, other just ask.  
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes: The poem "Somewhere, there is a stream." is by Paul Martyna. Used without permission. The verse Alex quotes is by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Beta Thanks: Jessabelle - of the wonderful red pen who catches my many errors and strokes my ego at the same time. Peach - who helped me get over my FWS (frigid writer syndrome) and who gently shows me a different way to think about where I'm going when I get lost. And Josan, who asks all the right questions. My betas are excellent, kind and true. Any mistakes you find are due to my last minute fiddling and fixing, like a mother who can't let her child out the door without one last spit-cleaning.  
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: The characters of Skinner, Krycek, and the X-Files belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and the Fox Network. No copyright infringement is intended; no money is being made.  
Summary: After the colonization, Skinner and Scully find themselves sharing a mountain hideaway with Alex Krycek. Can they find a way to live together? This is part of a longer series and you ought to read parts 1 - 5 first. You can find the rest of the story here: http://www.squidge.org/~xchick/julie/triple.html

* * *

Warning - there is some het reference and some het in part 2...don't read if you don't like het. 

There is also, however, some slash. Finally :-) Yep, Skinner and Krycek get it on. 

JM 

* * *

They spent more than an hour digging through Mulder's crates, exclaiming over their findings, calling back and forth to each other in the echoing cavern. Scully yawned hugely and announced she was retiring for the evening. 

It was then that Krycek found out just how precarious the accord was between Skinner and himself. 

The other man cleared his throat, then shared that he had moved into the room that Alex had been using. "I need a king size bed. The double beds in the other room were too small," he explained. 

"What about Scully?" Alex began, but Skinner interrupted. 

"Scully can share with me." At Alex's look of surprise, he continued. "She'll be perfectly safe with me, just like she was all the time it took us to get here." He shrugged. "I assumed that you'd want to have the other room to yourself." 

Alex looked at Scully, who was staring at her feet. Finally, she shrugged and said, "That's fine," then turned and left. 

Krycek looked at Skinner for a long moment, his face expressionless. He left the room without saying another word. In the kitchen, he listened to the sounds of Scully preparing for bed while he waited for water to heat. He struggled to identify how he felt about this turn of events. He wondered how Scully felt. 

He heard a bark and looked down to see Little A scamper into the kitchen and hop around his feet. He looked up to find Scully watching him. 

"Good night, Alex," she said. Her direct look was apologetic. 

"Yeah. You too. Have a good sleep." 

She looked down at the mutt, her expression softening. "Come on, A. Let's go." But the dog didn't budge. She shrugged, ready to give in, but Alex said, "He's not sleeping with me." She tipped her head, studying the dog, who was peeping at her from Alex's booted feet. 

"I don't think he'll come with me. He likes to sleep on your chest. Remember?" Her smile was wistful. "Besides, he'll keep you company." 

"Yeah. Right," he muttered, studying her intently. Her mask was back; smooth, remote Scully. For a moment, he wanted to rip it away, wanted to force her to acknowledge what happened between them. 

He felt vaguely resentful that he now had a secret to keep from Skinner. He had promised himself that when the covert war against the aliens was over, he would shed all the protective disguises he had adopted in order to survive. 

His last job, self-assigned and completed with relish, was to end the Smoker's miserable life. It was the last time he would kill in anything other than self-defense. That act was a turning point for him, clearly defining his life into before and after. 

The rhythm of his days was now set by nature's clock and dedicated to sustaining life. Midnight rendezvous based on deceit and carried out in secret with a mission to destroy had no place in this world. But here he was, when it was no longer a matter of life and death, continuing to conceal the truth. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

He watched Scully stifle a yawn as she turned to leave. She halted abruptly. Behind her, in the shadows of the hall way, stood Skinner. The sight of the other man gave him pause. Maybe keeping the truth of his changed relationship with Scully was a matter of life and death. He suppressed a self-mocking smile as he considered what the other man would do to him if he knew that he had dared touch his sainted Scully. 

The bigger man stepped forward and looked down at the dog at Alex's feet. 

"Little A?" he asked. He slanted a meaningful look at Alex and asked. "And you're okay with that?" 

Alex shrugged. "Why should I care that she named her mutt after you, Skinner?" 

Two heads gazed at him wearing identical expressions of surprise. Alex reached down and scratched the dog behind his ears. "Dana thought he was so cute and adorable, he reminded her of your butt, Skinner. So she christened him Little Ass - A for short." He grinned wickedly at both of them. 

"Oh, Alex." Scully flashed him a dirty look and shook her head at him. "I'm going to bed." 

"Good night, Scully," Skinner said as he watched her leave. When they were alone, he looked at the other man with narrowed eyes and remarked, "You're real cute, Krycek. You know that?" 

Smirking, Alex reached for his mug. "Yeah, I am." As he walked past him he gazed pointedly at Skinner's denim-clad ass. "But not, apparently, as cute as your butt." He paused for effect. "Oh yeah. There's hot water if you want a drink." 

He made his way to the living room, stopping at the fireplace to stir the embers and add some wood, before settling in his favorite armchair. He stretched his long legs out before him. Little A waited until the man had settled before jumping on his lap and making himself at home. 

Skinner fixed himself a drink, brought it into the living room, and stretched out on the couch. When he finally spoke, it was not what was Alex was expecting. "Where's your arm, Krycek?" 

The younger man looked at him over the top of his mug, surprise etched on his face. 

Skinner continued, "Your prosthetic, I mean. Where is it?" 

He shrugged. "It's around here somewhere." 

Skinner, who knew exactly where the missing prosthetic was, persisted. "Why don't you wear it?" 

"I was having problems with it. Had a little accident on the way here." 

"Can't you fix it?" 

"With one hand?" 

Skinner shrugged as though the topic held no interest for him. He leaned forward, pinning the other man with his intense stare. "So, why don't you tell me what happened between you and Scully while you were gone." 

Alex had been staring into the fire and didn't bother looking at the other man as he answered. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Like hell. She's completely changed," he stated. "I want to know why." 

Alex did look at him then, his lips twisted. "You prefer her the way she was? Catatonic half the time?" 

"That's not the point. I want to know what happened out there. Why is she so different?" 

"Why don't you ask her?" Skinner's jaw clenched, but Krycek continued before he could respond. "Well no, you wouldn't want to do that. You'd have to have a real conversation with her." 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the older man growled. 

"It means that you treat her like she's spun glass instead of a real woman." With that, Krycek got up, heading for his room. 

"Fuck you," Skinner retorted. 

Krycek scooped up the dog and looked at Skinner, raking his gaze up and down the length of the other's man's body. "Not tonight, Skinner. I'm dog tired." He flashed the other man a crooked smile. "But ask me again tomorrow night. Maybe we can get Scully to babysit Little A." 

Skinner wasn't sure what stunned him more, Krycek's words, or the heat in the other man's gaze as it scorched over his body. 

"Son of a bitch," he cursed, but by the time he was on his feet the other man was down the hall, shutting the door to his bedroom behind him. He raised a fist to pound on the door before realizing that he had no idea what he was going to say to the other man. 

It frustrated him that Krycek, with a few cannily chosen words, could render him speechless and indecisive. He stood there in the hall, fuming at the other man's mind fucking and resentful that his self-governing cock twitched and grew at the images that Krycek's words evoked. 

A memory surfaced, half-formed, of the other man behind him, warm and naked and whispering huskily in his ear. Where the hell had that come from? And why did it feel so real? 

He walked away from the closed door and settled the cabin for the night, his movements jerky. In the bedroom, he could make out Scully's small form curled on the far side of the bed. The steady rise and fall of her chest told him that she was sleeping. Her peaceful slumber calmed him. 

He slipped under the blankets and turned to look at Scully. He thought about Krycek, alone in the other room. 

This bed was so big; the three of them could share it and not feel crowded. 

If it got colder, that might make the most sense. They could close off the other bedroom and conserve their wood supply. 

He wondered how the other two would react to such a suggestion. 

He stared up at the ceiling and he realized he was wide-awake. He missed the way he and Scully had nestled together each night on their journey here, sharing their warmth. He almost resented that their improved circumstances put an end to that. 

He shuddered, feeling alone and lost, bewildered at his sudden melancholy. 

Sleep was a long time coming. 

Skinner might have felt better had he only known that across the hall, Alex too was plagued with insomnia. 

* * *

Krycek lay awake staring at the ceiling, Little A on his chest. His sleeplessness frustrated him. 

It was more than missing Scully's small warm form curled up next to him, although he was surprised at how quickly he'd become used to having her beside him. 

He suspected Little A felt the same way, since he stayed awake for a long time, sitting on Alex's chest and watching the door. "It's just you and me, kid, might as well get used to it." The dog turned a mournful gaze upon him, as though he understood. 

Since his family had been taken from him, the closest he'd come to enjoying a normal life were the few short months he lived as an FBI agent. Before then, the Consortium had been careful not to tempt him with what he could not have. They created a world for him that was wholly unlike anything that had come before. They wanted him to forget not just his family but his memories of what it was like to live in a family. 

But they weren't completely successful. The Jesuits have a saying, 'Give us a child for his first seven years, and he is ours for life.' Alexei Krycek spent thirteen years as part of a family. He'd never forgotten, no matter how well he sublimated his yearnings. 

He'd left Skinner in the living room not because he wanted to avoid any further confrontation, but because he didn't want to watch Skinner close the door to the room he and Scully now shared. 

He thought about the questions Skinner asked him tonight. How much could he share with the other man? He still had to dole out his words, as careful about what he didn't say as he was about what he did say. 

He realized how much he hated that and the knowledge hit him like a sucker punch in the gut. 

And what devil had prompted him to tease Skinner tonight? What had he been thinking? His bit his lip, his conscience prodding him that at least he should be honest with himself about this. He could no more resist teasing Skinner than he could resist checking out his body that very first night. He could clearly recall the muscled thighs, the length of his cock and his endless chest. And later, when Skinner briefly woke and turned towards the fire, he pressed up behind the other man, hugging him to his chest. He had felt those tight ass cheeks against his groin and grew half-hard. 

He also remembered how he baited Scully that night, telling her it was his secret desire to get naked with the two of them. His cock, which had started to warm with his memories of Skinner, jumped at the thought of the three of them together. 

He carefully lifted the sleeping A from his chest, and rolled onto his side, reaching inside his sweats to find his cock, shuddering as he touched himself. 

He let himself fantasize about that night in front of the fire. This time, he pictured himself in the middle, burying himself into Scully's warmth while Skinner fucked him from behind. He groaned into his pillow and worked his cock harder. 

The Consortium had taught him that sex was a weapon as lethal as any gun and that men and women were interchangeable. He learned to suck cock and did it well, more so as a means to end the task quickly rather than caring about the other's pleasure. And he certainly enjoyed having his cock sucked and wasn't fussy about the gender of the person kneeling before him. But he'd never taken a cock up his ass before -he would never allow himself to be exposed and made vulnerable that way. 

But now, he thought about Skinner pulling his ass cheeks apart to finger his hole and felt himself grow flushed and hot. He dreamed of a gentle Skinner opening him slowly and thoroughly before pushing his cock inside him. Imaged him whispering hoarsely into his ear everything that he was doing as he was doing it, telling him what a sweet, tight ass he had. 

He knew how it felt to be in Scully, how her cunt rippled around him and pulled at his cock. He imagined what it would feel like to take her and to be taken at the same time. 

He thought about the sassy curve of Scully's ass and wondered if she would ever let him touch her there, ever let him fuck her that way. With a muffled cry he came, his hot come spurting over his hand as he spasmed over and over. 

* * *

The Indian summer Alex wished for seemed content to linger. He did the morning chores and looked for eggs, disappointed to find only two. The chickens, he figured, were out of sorts due to their move. But there was fresh milk and the thought of griddlecakes, steaming hot and smothered in maple syrup, made his mouth water. 

Back at the cabin, the smell of freshly brewed coffee made his nose twitch. The door to the cave was open. He stuck his head around the corner and saw Scully exploring a box of kitchen supplies. 

"How about pancakes for breakfast?" he asked. 

"Are you making them?" 

"You bet." He stepped forward and peered into the crate. "Hey, just what I need." He pulled a pair of mini-muffin pans out of the crate. "Mind if I use these?" 

"You gonna make us muffins too?" 

"Nah, they're for something else. Where's Skinner?" he asked. 

"I thought he was in the barn with you?" 

"I haven't seen him this morning. I actually got the feeling he was happy to see me yesterday, if only because it got him out of chores." 

She paused and looked up at him. "Give him time Alex. He'll come around." 

He nodded and together they wandered into the kitchen where they found a note on the counter: 

"Somewhere, there is a stream... Where the riffles run clear and bright And the water speaks with the crystal Chatter of a promise." 

"Geez, why didn't he just say he was going fishing?" Alex asked. 

Scully bit her lip. "I think he's making a little joke." 

Alex frowned. "You mean like Mulder's cryptic note-in-the-form-of-a-poem last night?" 

She shrugged. "Maybe." 

He thought for a moment, then smiled. "Well, what do ya know? Spooky Skinner. He's a regular X-File." 

* * *

After lunch, they found a brand new lap top computer, with a box of software that had been packaged in a moisture proof container. 

"This would make tracking and rationing the supplies a lot easier." Krycek remarked. 

"We need electricity." Skinner commented. "Maybe that should be our first priority, now that we know we won't starve to death this winter. 

While waiting for lunch to cook, they looked over the literature included with the windmill and the hydrogenerator. 

"I think we have to go with the hydrogenerator," Scully remarked. "The windmill will be visible for miles. I'm not sure we want to advertise our presence." 

"She's right," Alex agreed. 

Skinner had been hoping to avoid dealing with the cold mountain stream. The memory of his last dip still left him feeling chilled, but he reluctantly concurred. 

Over supper, they made plans to survey the stream tomorrow to look for the most likely setup for the generator. Scully and Krycek volunteered for cleanup duty since Skinner had cooked. 

Skinner settled on the couch with a stack of books. The murmur of voices from the kitchen reached him. He heard Alex's deep baritone, then Scully's laughter, full and open. He forced himself to stay seated, even though every instinct urged him to investigate just what the former operative had said to make Scully laugh like that. 

They wandered into the living area a little while later. Scully curled up on the other corner of Skinner's couch, while Alex settled in his favorite armchair and poured over a book on Russian icons. Scully was enthralled with a guide to making dairy products. Little A sat on her lap, his feet at the edge of the book as though he was reading along with her. "Listen to this," she said. "Thistle flowers, safflower seeds, or fig bark can be soaked in water to make extracts that will set a curd." 

The other two looked at her, puzzled. "A what?" Krycek finally asked. 

"A curd. To make cheese. With all that milk you bring us twice a day. We have more than we can use. We can make our own cheese and butter." 

"Oh, 'curd'. I thought you said something else." Krycek grinned at her. 

"I'm ignoring that," she replied smartly without looking up from her text. "And look! Directions for making yogurt. I'll make some yogurt tomorrow." 

Alex looked at her askance. "On purpose?" 

She flung a pillow in his general direction and remarked that if he didn't have something constructive to say, he could keep his thoughts to himself. 

"Yes, Miss Dana. Whatever you say, ma'am." 

Scully grinned at him and he smirked back at her. He looked over at the other end of the couch to find Skinner staring at him, eyes narrowed, over the top of his book. Krycek flattened his mouth, gazing back at the other man without expression for long moments before turning away. 

Suddenly, the room seemed chilled. Alex laid his book aside and fussed with the fire before saying an abrupt good night to the other two. The dog jumped up from Scully's lap and padded after Alex. 

Scully looked at Skinner, her expression questioning. Skinner shrugged, as though the other man's behavior was a thing beyond his understanding. 

But the truth was, it was his own conduct that left him bewildered. 

* * *

The next morning, Skinner sought out the other man and found him in the barn. "Krycek." Alex looked up from mucking out the horse stall, but didn't speak. "I want to know what happened while you were away with Scully." 

Alex set the pitchfork aside. "You're still on that?" Exasperation was clear in his voice. "Ask her, why don't you? Better yet, just get over it." 

Skinner grabbed a bunch of shirt in each hand and threw Krycek against the wall. He held him there, hanging onto his temper by a thin thread. "Damn it, answer me." 

He couldn't resist baiting the other man. "What's the matter, Skinner? Jealous?" 

Skinner backhanded him. 

"Fuck this shit, Skinner. This is my home. You don't get to beat me up here!" He hooked a foot behind the other man's ankle and then pushed him, hitting him squarely in the solar plexus. 

Skinner tumbled backwards, pulling Krycek down with him. They wrestled for dominance, like two school boys playing king of the hill. Skinner was still recovering from his bout with pneumonia and tired quickly. But his greater bulk and Krycek's missing arm gave him the advantage over the younger man. 

He finally had Krycek beneath him, tightened his thighs around his hips to hold the younger man still while he caught his breath. 

Alex pushed up against him and Skinner knew he could feel his cock standing at attention. The other man looked surprised for one long moment before he asked, "Just which one of us are you jealous of, Skinner?" 

Skinner growled, then leaned down and kissed him. 

At first, Krycek pulled back in surprise, then returned the kiss with fervor, his mouth opening to accept the other man's tongue. It had been years since Skinner had kissed another man, and he found himself enjoying the ability to kiss and touch and fondle as roughly as he wished. Alex's lips were surprisingly soft, his morning beard rough, and the contrast between the two was highly erotic. Alex's response was making him dizzy. He wrapped his single hand around Skinner's neck to anchor him and his kisses were long and deep and searching, one moving to the next, barely giving him time to breath or regroup. 

Skinner rolled slightly to one side, so just his chest covered Alex. He pushed one powerful thigh between the other man's legs, tipping his hips so Alex rode his thigh. He rubbed against Alex's erection and when the younger man groaned deep in his throat he swallowed it with a kiss. 

Skinner rocked his hips against the younger man with a growing sense of urgency. He grasped the button of Alex's jeans, quickly unzipped him and pulled his cock free. He pulled away and looked down at the other man's cock, stroking him. He flicked his thumb over the cockhead, smearing precome over the glans. He pushed at the jeans so he could pull the other man's balls free. With his fingers, he reached back and stroked him, back to front. Alex groaned. Skinner circled the head again with his thumb and brought it to Alex's mouth, smearing the moisture across his bottom lip before bending to kiss him again. Alex groaned once, then again when Skinner began to pump his cock. 

He felt Alex pull away from him and struggle to open Skinner's pants with his single hand. Skinner reached down to help him. 

"I can do it." He swatted at his hand and leaned down to catch the waist of Skinner's jeans with his teeth. He pulled it taut and yanked at the zipper. 

Skinner helped push his jeans off his hips and this time Alex didn't protest, he was too busy staring at Skinner's freed cock. When he finally looked up his eyes were as round as one of Mulder's flying saucers. Skinner grinned at the implied compliment, then groaned when Alex nuzzled his balls before running his tongue up the underside of his cock. 

Skinner watched Krycek move down to kneel between his thighs. The other man grasped the base of his cock and gazed at him without blinking as he explored his cock with his tongue and lips. Skinner resisted the urge to grab Krycek's head and fuck his mouth; he bit his lip and grabbed tufts of straw in his hands, but would not look away. The sight of Krycek's bedroom eyes gazing up at him while that soft mouth played with his cock was a wet dream made real. He wasn't ready to leave this world just yet. 

But Alex had other plans. He began to mouth him, swallowing more of his cock each time he went down, till Skinner's eyes rolled back in his head. He felt Krycek pull away from him and he groaned in protest, until that wet, warm mouth was once again working him. Krycek's hand, which had been fisting the base of his cock, began to stroke behind his balls and Skinner lifted his hips in response. He felt a damp finger explore further, finding the cleft of his ass and his puckered hole. The fingertip teased at him, and Skinner cried out and braced his feet on the floor, lifting his ass. The finger at his hole pushed in, gently and steadily, stroking and exploring, until it found that spot that made him cry out. Then he felt himself coming, gushing into Krycek's mouth again and again. 

He came back to earth slowly. He felt completely blissed out and too drained to even open his eyes. With his hands he reached down to pull the younger man to his chest. His kissed him, tasting his come on the other man's lips. "Give me a second. I'll return the favor," he mumbled. He felt a puff of air on his face and cracked open one eye to see Krycek grinning at him, as self-satisfied as the cat from Alice's wonderland. 

The challenge was irresistible. He pushed Krycek back in the hay and went down on him. He was pleased at how quickly he could bring the younger man to completion. It had been more than a few years since he'd last had a cock in his mouth. He supposed that there were some skills that once learned, were never truly lost. He moaned as the other man came, writhing under him in the hay. His own cock twitched, excited at the younger man's response. 

He moved up and kissed Alex. He pushed his tongue in the other man's mouth, enjoying their mingled tastes. 

He pulled back and lay next to the other man as their breaths gradually slowed. 

Skinner made a halfhearted move, as if to rise, and Alex turned and looked at him. "She cried," he said. 

"What?" Skinner froze. 

"You asked me what happened. With Scully." Skinner turned to stare at him. "At the homestead she found some family pictures." He shrugged. "I guess they reminded her of her own family - of everything she's lost and . . . she cried. God, did she cry," he trailed off and looked up at the ceiling, focusing on nothing. "The next day.she was sad and quiet but not as lost. She seemed almost, well, at peace." 

Skinner was silent for a long time. Alex looked over at him. Skinner lay with his arm covering his eyes. A muscle twitched in his jaw. It never occurred to him until just then that Skinner had also lost a family in the aftermath of the invasion. 

He bit his lip and considered his options. Finally, he rolled over and cautiously laid his head against Skinner's shoulder, slowly stretching his arm across the other man's chest. He scarcely dared breath as he waited for his offer of comfort to be accepted or rejected. 

After a long moment, Skinner's arm came down and wrapped around Krycek's shoulder. He found Krycek's hand with his own and twined their fingers together. 

Without turning he spoke. "Thank you for telling me." 

Alex nodded. He ignored the single tear that rolled down Skinner's cheek. 

Neither of them seemed interested in moving. They were quiet for a long time, until Krycek finally offered. "I think the dog has helped too. Gives her something to look after, worry about." 

Skinner turned to look at him. "That's not a dog." 

Krycek began to laugh, slowly at first, then with growing hilarity. Skinner joined him, till they were both roaring. 

Skinner struggled to his feet first and held out a hand to Krycek. They straightened their own clothing, once again separate, but not like before. 

At the door, he turned to Krycek. "Hey," he said. 

"Yeah?" 

"I'll make breakfast, then we'll go take that hike, check out the creek. Find a place to hook up the generator. I'm tired of creeping about in the dark every night." 

The younger man nodded. "Yeah. Okay." 

They looked at each for a few moments longer, a space of time in which a tacit agreement of peace was drawn up between the old enemies. 

The rules of engagement had changed. 

* * *

After lunch the three of them went exploring. They found the perfect spot for the generator not far from the cabin. A sudden drop in the stream's path created a waterfall that would turn the turbine at enough rpm's to generate a moderate amount of electricity. The reserve battery would charge over night when their usage was low, and could be drawn down during the day and evening. 

Balancing carefully, Scully stepped from rock to rock until she was in the middle of the stream. Crouching down, she dug around the cold water for a handful of pebbles. Sorting through them, she offered a small bunch to Krycek. Alex looked from her small hand to her face, puzzled. "For your project," she explained. 

"Oh." The woman knew how to surprise him. "Well, these won't do at all," he said. Crouching down, he scooped another handful from the icy stream, spread them out on a rock, and flicked off the ones he didn't want. "See. They need to be flat. Disk-like. And no wider than your baby fingernail, Dana. Even a little smaller. And they don't need to be circular. I'll need irregular shaped ones to fill in the edges." 

"The edges of what?" Skinner stood looking down at them. The expression on his face hinted at his suspicions that the other two might be replicants. 

Scully squinted up at him. "For Alex's project." 

"What project?" 

She looked at Krycek slyly and said, "I don't know, he won't tell me. Maybe you'll have better luck getting information from him, Walter." 

Alex flushed, thinking of their tte--tte in the barn this morning and how, just after he came, Skinner could have asked him anything and he would have sang like a canary. 

He gazed at Skinner through spiky lashes, feeling abashed. "It's nothing really. Just a little project I started before you and Scully got here. Something to keep me busy. And to." he trailed off. 

"And to what?" Skinner urged him to continue. 

"To replace something I lost years ago." 

Scully piped in, "Haven't you seen his collection? He has a large jar full on the desk in the corner." 

Alex changed the subject by asking Skinner some questions about the site. The other man took the hint and Alex was grateful. They chatted some more while Scully fished for pebbles. Alex noticed Skinner shiver, and suggested they return to the cabin. He took a step towards Scully, offering a hand. She reached for him, wrapping her arms about his neck while he swung her to the bank. She smiled her appreciation and held out a palm full of pebbles, which he pocketed with a quick thanks. "These look perfect," he said. 

As she walked away Alex frowned, counting back in his head. It had been just over a month since he had found the other two in the highland meadow. A month since he had lifted Scully onto the pack horse and led the two of them to the warmth of the cabin. He realized that after all those weeks, her belly hadn't changed in size. Her baby wasn't growing. 

He'd seen this pattern before, and the implications of what it meant for Scully and her baby left him feeling sick with foreboding. He remembered the night they first made love and his suspicions then about the conception of the child she carried. 

He hoped he was wrong. He prayed he was wrong. 

The shiver that ran through him had nothing to do with the falling temperature. 

* * *

Their days fell into a pattern. They took turns cooking and cleaning. Other chores fell to each as their interests dictated. Scully experimented with various dairy products; her background in bacteriology useful in a way she could have never anticipated. She spent her mornings in the kitchen and often napped in the afternoon. 

The animals were Alex's domain and they kept him busy early mornings and before supper. 

Skinner took up residence in a side room off the barn that had been built, it seemed, as potential workshop space. Solar panels on the slanted roof kept the building cozy. Before the generator could be installed, or power lines strung to the cabin, the battery would need a small housing unit to protect it from the elements. So Skinner spent his afternoons in the workshop crafting the generator housing with Little A for company. 

It amused Scully and Krycek that Little A seemed to deem that time as Skinner's. The dog appeared determined to share his company equally among his human companions. His mornings with Scully in the kitchen, which had become a laboratory for her experiments. And his nights of course were spent on Krycek's chest. 

Krycek brought Scully his endless pails of milk and often joined her in the kitchen after breakfast. He was fascinated by Scully's meticulous attention to detail. Skinner, who had little interest in microbiology, spent most mornings fishing. 

One morning a week after returning from their trip, Scully watched from the kitchen window as Skinner's figure disappear down the side of the mountain. 

She called over her shoulder to Krycek. "Skinner's gone fishing." 

Alex nodded without looking up. "He does that." 

She continued. "From this window, I can see when he returns." 

Alex looked at her and found her gazing at him from over her shoulder, her gaze sleepy and full of promise. Alex swallowed, scarcely daring to believe the invitation she seemed to be offering. 

He walked slowly towards her, until he was just behind where she stood facing the windows, his length brushing her back. He rested his hand on the counter, leaning over her. "Right here?" he asked. "You can see him from here?" He leaned his head down next to hers, but instead of gazing out the window to where the stream slipped down the mountain side, he studied the redhead's face, intrigued when a small pink tongue licked the corner of her mouth. 

"Yes," she breathed. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. He felt her body melt back against his own. 

"How long was he gone yesterday?" 

"Two hours," she muttered between kisses. 

"As long as that, Miss Dana?" he asked as he nibbled on her lower lip. She smiled at the nickname, then gasped as his hand lifted to cup her breast. He found her nipple and closed his fingers around it. 

"Oh." she whispered, rubbing her ass back against his growing erection. "Maybe he'll have better luck today. Come home earlier." she said. 

"Oh, that would be bad. He should take his time. He enjoys it so much." 

She lifted and arm and twined it around his neck. "God, I want you." 

He growled in her ear, "I've missed this. Missed sleeping next to you." 

He pulled at her pants, and she untangled her arms and pushed them off, till she was naked from the waist down. He opened his fly and fished his cock from his shorts. 

He slipped his hand over the curve of Scully's ass, pushing his fingers between her thighs to find her warm slickness. She bit her lip when he pushed a finger into her, closed her eyes and leaned over the counter, resting her hands on the edge, and pushing her ass back towards him. 

He pushed another finger inside her, feeling the tight opening blossom. He fucked her hard and slow with his fingers. He leaned forward to watch her face as he opened her. Her mouth fell open, her breath coming in shallow, open mouthed puffs. Her fingers tightened on the edge of the sink and she arched her back and pushed back onto his fingers. He brought his thumb up to circle her clit, then flicked at it over and over as she began to whimper, "Please, please, please." 

"You ready for me?" His voice was low and hoarse. 

"Yes, yes," she mewled. 

He slid behind her, took his cock in his hand and smoothed pre-come over the glans. He fisted the base and pushed forward, finding her opening. He paused for a second, then pushed into her with one long, steady movement. She cried out, the friction of his cock stroking her so sweet, she had to vocalize her pleasure. 

He rested his hand on her shoulder, pulling her back into him as he snapped his hips, bucking into her. She pushed back against him, angling her hips to find the best angle. Her opened mouth cries told him he was touching her just right. 

He found one of her hands and pushed it down, rasping into her ear, "Touch yourself, Scully." 

She balanced on one hand, stroking herself with the other. He steadied himself by grasping one slim hip as his thrusts sped up. Her cries grew louder and suddenly she was tightening around him as he hurtled toward climax, spurting into her. 

Their respiration slowed and he slipped out of her, fastening his clothing before reaching to help her re-dress. He leaned against the counter, legs slightly spread, and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his back. He felt pleasantly buzzed and satiated as he occasionally pressed kisses to her forehead as they cuddled together. 

At length, he pulled back to look at her. He smoothed the hair from her face, enjoying the vision of flushed cheeks and swollen lips. "Scully." 

"Hmm," she breathed. 

"I wasn't sure this would happen again." His words were half declaration, half inquiry. 

She looked at him, hesitating, then pressed her lips to his. He held back for a moment before returning her kiss, exploring her lips and mouth, not needing to do anything more than enjoy this connection. 

He pulled away slowly. "I think we should tell Skinner." 

Scully jerked away from him, her eyes wide. "Tell him what?" she asked. 

"That we...that we're lovers." 

"Oh no. No. We can't." Her denial was emphatic. 

"Are you ashamed?" he asked guardedly. 

"No, of course not." 

"Good. Cause I love what we do together in bed." He grinned at her crookedly. "And out of bed. And I want to do it more often." He paused, his expression growing serious. "I don't like sneaking around." 

She flinched at that. Honestly was important to her. But telling Skinner about the two of them? 

"Are you afraid of how he'll react?" Krycek asked. 

"Of course I am." 

"Because he wants you, too." It was a statement, not a question. 

The look she gave him was incredulous. "That's ridiculous. He's always been a perfect gentleman around me." 

"Well, after all, that is what he is, an officer and a gentleman." He smiled at her wistfully. "He would never make the first move, especially since he considers you Mulder's and would never poach. But I've seen the way he looks at you." He shrugged. "And I've always seen the way he treats you. I don't think even he realizes how much he wants you. But he does." 

She looked down, eyebrows knotted while she pondered what he said. 

Krycek didn't want to upset her, so he backed off, content to let her think for while. "I've got some stuff to do." He smoothed her brow with his hand, the brushed a soft kiss against her lips. "Don't worry, Dana. It'll work out." 

* * *

But she did worry, or at least wonder. 

She looked at Skinner differently. For the rest of the day she studied the way he reacted to her and noticed how intently he watched her move about the cabin. 

At first, just at first, it made her self-conscious. Then it made her feel altogether different. 

She caught Alex watching her watch Skinner. His steady gaze was both knowing and accepting. The implications made her flush with longing. 

That night she lay stiffly, waiting for sleep to come while she considered Skinner, the wide empty space in the center of their bed, and the man across the hall. And when she fell asleep her dreams opened to her a taboo world that left her panties damp and made her blush red when she remembered them the next morning. 

* * *

A few nights later, just before he set out for the barn, Alex left a note on the kitchen counter: 

//  
"I heard a neigh,   
Oh, such a brisk and   
melodious neigh it was.   
My very heart   
leaped with the sound."  
// 

Skinner found it first and grinning, handed it to Scully, who wondered aloud if it was possible for two men to breath the same air without becoming competitive. 

But Scully, who was hard-wired with her own need to over-achieve, spent the evening pouring through Mulder's poetry and reference books. 

In the morning, Alex found her offering tucked into the frame of the bathroom mirror. His shout of laughter roused Skinner from bed. 

//  
"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.   
Gilbert K. Chesterton "  
// 

Scully smiled at the sound of the two men laughing together, before rolling over on her side and drifting back to sleep. Her plan was taking shape. 

Alex also smiled as he made his way to the barn in the pre-dawn shadows. 

The peace between him and Skinner seemed real. The other man now looked him in the eye, asked him direct questions, and included him in conversations. 

Sometimes, he thought about their encounter in the barn, and his cheeks flushed with heat. He suspected that their quick and enormously satisfying romp in the hay would never be repeated; Skinner never alluded to it, never hinted by word or deed that he wouldn't mind a rematch. So Alex swallowed that disappointment. It was enough, he told himself, that he was now part of Skinner's charmed circle. He could almost feel the man enfolding him in the same protective embrace that he used to shelter Scully. 

He was no longer just tolerated. He was now one of Skinner's people. He belonged. 

* * *

* * *

Julie M  
Celebrating and Commemorating 9 Years On the X-Files  
http://www.ThankYouMitch.com/

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Julie Morningstar 


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